Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts after hitting the ball into the water near the 18th hole during second round play in the Honda Classic PGA golf tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida March 1, 2013. McIlroy left the tournament after this shot, completing only eight holes in the second round. (REUTERS/Doug Murray)

Rory McIlroy, the world’s No. 1 player, admitted in an interview with Sports Illustrated that he made a mistake by withdrawing from the Honda Classic on Friday in the middle of a round.

A problem with a wisdom tooth was the explanation given for his withdrawal, but he said that should not have prevented him from finishing the round. He was 7-over-par for his round at the time.

“It was a reactive decision,” McIlroy told SI. “What I should have done is take my drop, chip it on, try to make a 5 and play my hardest on the back nine, even if I shot 85. What I did was not good for the tournament, not good for the kids and the fans who were out there watching me — it was not the right thing to do.”

McIlroy told SI he expects to have one of his wisdom teeth pulled following the U.S. Open.

His Nike equipment has been a subject of debate since he signed an endorsement deal in January.

“The driver and the ball took some time to get used to, but I had weeks at Nike before the start of the year, and I feel comfortable with all the equipment,” he said, according to the report. “The problem is, I’m bringing the club too upright on the backswing then dropping it in too much on the downswing.”

McIlroy is scheduled to play in this week’s WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral and has a news conference scheduled for Wednesday.